UNIT B- ELEMENT 1 January 2009, Jan 2007, Jan 2010. Question No 1 Outline the possible functions of an occupational health service within a large manufacturing company. The possible functions of an occupational health service that could have been include pre-employment health screening or other medical examinations (for example of employees returning work following accidents or of those such as transport drivers whose work demands particular physical competencies), biological monitoring and health surveillance. The service would also very likely have a role in contributing to health and safety policies, providing specialist input to risk assessments and health education and keeping health records, managing first-aid provision, implementing rehabilitation programmes and liaising with other professionals such as local general medical practitioners and enforcement officers. Other possible functions, depending on the organization and its activities, might include immunization, drug and alcohol screening and involvement with environmental monitoring programmes.
July 2009 Question No 3 A catalogue distribution company employs drivers, warehouse staff and office staff to process telephone and internet orders. Identify the functions of the distribution company’s occupational health department when: (a) Recruiting new works; (5) During the recruitment of new workers, the occupational health department would have an important part to play in carrying out screening of the applicants and reviewing their health history so that they might be in a position to advice management on their suitability for employment. In particular they would need to check the fitness and
ability of potential warehouse staff to undertaken manual handling tasks, check the eyesight of applicants for positions as drivers whether of road or internal vehicles and also screen them for the evidence of the possible mis-use of alcohol or other substances. Additionally it would be important to carry out eyesight tests on those who would be employed in the office to use display screen equipment. Other examples related to particular workers were also accepted. (b)A worker returns to work after ill-health.
(5)
As for those workers preparing to return to work after a period of illhealth, an assessment of their current health condition would enable recommendations to be made to management on whether the return should phases or whether the worker should be redeployed on other or lighter duties. This would necessitate liaison with the worker’s medical practitioner and where necessary arranging for counseling and rehabilitation or even providing this in in house. Some workers may also need to be monitored on an on-going basis.
July 2011 Question No 4 (a) Outline the four stages of occupational health and hygiene practice. The first stage of occupational health and hygiene practice is identifying factors that can cause harm in the workplace. This would be followed by taking measurements to determine who might be affected and to what extent. Once the measurements have been completed, an evaluation of the level of risk posed by the identified hazards will have to be carried out and this will point to the need to introduce control measures to eliminate or minimize the risk.
(b)An organization is concerned about the level of absence arising from work related injuries and ill-health. Outline the practical ways in which the organization’s occupational health department could assist in the management of this problem. (6) There are a number of practical ways in which the organisation’s occupational health department might assist in managing the problem described such as: using pre-employment screening to identify potential workers who would be at greater risk of suffering ill-health resulting in absence; carrying out regular health surveillance of existing workers engaged in activities with known health hazards for example those exposed to lead; collecting data on sickness absence analyzing it to identify trends or reasons for absence and training managers in the importance of monitoring absence from work;l liasing with medical practitioners, arranging vaccination or immunization programmes and providing rapid access to treatments such as physiotherapy and to work in certain circumstances and providing practical advice on adaptations to work practice to minimize risk or repeat injury; and taking an active part in carrying out risk assessments at the workplace. Question No 10 of Jan 2012. A large manufacturing company is to introduce a health promotion programme. (a) Outline the purpose of a health promotion programme. (2) This question was not popular and few candidates attempted it. For part (a), candidates could have offered either that the purpose of a health promotion programme is to help workers to improve their own general health and well- being or that its intention is to improve the health and wellbeing of people at work through the combined efforts of employers, workers and society. Some candidates considered that a health promotion programme related solely to the work situation.
(b) Identify issues the health promotion programme should address AND outline the way in which EACH issue could be promoted. (10) For part (b), a good answer would have identified a number of issues that a health promotion programme should address and would also have indicated how each of the issues could be promoted. For example, the programme could address the general issue of health awareness by using posters and notice boards to link the promotion with national health awareness days. Similarly the issue of well-being at work could be promoted by offering the possibility of working flexible hours or working from home while the subject of healthy eating could be supported by making information available on diet and nutrition and by changing the menu of the works canteen to include the suggested healthy foods. Other issues such as smoking, the consumption of alcohol and the need to take exercise could again be promoted by the use of posters, videos and leaflets whilst workers might be encouraged to engage in exercise if membership of a local gymnasium could be arranged at preferential rates. In order to obtain all themarks available candidates should also have identified other issues such as health monitoring, the benefits of vaccination and/or inoculations, counseling and individual factors such as ageing or pregnancy and considered how they might be promoted to gain the desired effect. While candidates identified a number of issues they were then unable to continue and outline how they could be promoted. (c) Identify FOUR occupational health specialists who may be involved in the health promotion programme, AND outline how EACH specialist could contribute to the programme. (8) In answer to part (c), an identification of four occupational health specialists who might be involved in and contribute to a health promotion programme was required. For example, an occupational health physician would be competent to deal with occupational health problems and might refer workers for specialist consultation when this was thought to be necessary while an occupational hygienist could assist in preventing ill-health from work by anticipating, recognising, evaluating and helping to control health hazards. Other specialists who could have been mentioned include an occupational health nurse, a physiotherapist, an ergonomist and a dietician but in each case their possible contribution to a health promotion programme should have been outlined before marks could be awarded. This part of the question attracted better answers than the preceding two
with the required number of specialists identified together with the contributions they could make to the health promotion programme.
